


Broken Wings

by j520j



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Caring Crowley (Good Omens), Coffee, Cuddling & Snuggling, Denial of Feelings, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Good Person Gabriel (Good Omens), Injured Gabriel (Good Omens), M/M, Nice Gabriel (Good Omens), No Sex, Open Relationships, Pre-Threesome, References to Depression, Regretful Gabriel (Good Omens), Songs reference, Soul Bond, Wing Grooming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:34:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25290985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j520j/pseuds/j520j
Summary: Crowley finds out that, despite being a demon, it's no easy to him hating his enemies. Especially when one of his enemies desperately needs help.The 'Mature' is for ugly words, injuries and mature themes. Nothing too naughty in this fic.
Relationships: Crowley/Gabriel (Good Omens), background Aziraphale/Crowley - Relationship
Comments: 29
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

A happy demon drove his Bentley through the streets at twice the permitted speed. He skidded dramatically at Charing Cross, parking the car perfectly in the small space between two cars. The sound of tires screeching on the pavement made nearby humans clench their teeth.

In an exhibitionist way, he got out of the car. He started walking sinuously towards the 24 hours movie theater. He was after films and alcohol. And only a few establishments on the premises allowed alcoholic drinks to enter - well, they were ideal for accompanying certain types of films that were not suitable for the general audience.

He bought the ticket that entitled him to 6 hours of movies: from 11 pm to 5 am. In theory, all trade closed in Greater London after midnight or, at most, at one in the morning. But in Lambeth, things could be a little more flexible, especially when money passed from the merchants' hand to the police pocket.

With four bottles of vodka in his seat on the left and a huge packet of popcorn in the one on the right, Crowley stretched his legs over one of the dingy seats in the room and started watching the movies. By a miracle, he was alone in the room and could enjoy his evening in peace and happy.

Well, not so happy. That afternoon, the demon had just said goodbye to Aziraphale, who had traveled to Italy to make the infamous ‘Pasta Way’. The blond would visit more than 50 tourist cities, tasting the best pasta in each one.

The angel wanted Crowley to accompany him, but the redhead declined the invitation. For him, it was always pleasant to be in the company of his boyfriend, to watch him eat erotically and everything, but not that time. It had been over a year since the No-End-of-the-World and the two have been together almost every day since then. Yes, it was wonderful to be with Aziraphale every day, but...

Well, the two decided to take a break. Even a couple needed time away to keep from getting bored of each other.

However, it was only after he said goodbye to the blond that Crowley realized how much he had become dependent on Aziraphale. The things he liked to do on his own, like watching dirty movies in dangerous neighborhoods, no longer were fun anymore.

Sighing, the demon decided to leave around two in the morning. He was bored already.

........................................

"How is your trip, angel?" Crowley asked, while lying on his couch.

"Oh, it's wonderful, my dear!" Aziraphale's voice radiated happiness. “I'm in Sicily today and I'm going to try a special recipe that was brought by the Moors and perfected by the Italians! In addition to the pasta, I am also trying wonderful types of cheese! And do you believe that the original recipe for macaroni and oysters, which dates back to Ancient Rome, has survived to this day? Scrumptious!"

"Good for you." the demon tried to sound excited on the other end. "Hey, don't forget to bring me a souvenir, okay?"

“Sure, love! What would you like me to bring from Sicily? A cheese? Maybe a good bottle of wine?”

"Bring me an original revolver that has been used by Cosa Nostra." he laughed.

“Oh, I… well, I don't know where I can get this. Maybe if I go to a museum... ”

"Haha, I'm kidding, angel!" Crowley got up from the couch. "Bring me anything you want, I will love it."

"Ah, that's good! So, until next month, my dear!”

"Yes, until next month."

The demon hung up the phone with a frown. _Two more weeks without you._ he thought, sighing.

........................................

Once again Crowley went to Lambeth to watch his dirty films. He would take the opportunity to do some mischief with some humans, deceive some policemen, and all kinds of demonic things he liked to do. Maybe it would improve his mood.

However, just before he got to the movie theater, he started to hear fighting sounds in a nearby alley. It looked like a group of humans was beating someone. They looked very angry and the unfortunate person who was being beaten was having no chance to react.

 _Too bad._ he thought, going his way. However, something made him suddenly stop. A familiar sensation.

The fighting sound stopped and what was left were a few voices altered with curses. The humans dispersed and left someone lying, leaning against the wall. The low light didn’t allow him to see who the person was, but Crowley was sure that aura was familiar to him.

An angelic aura that, although recognizable, made his skin crawl.

Approaching the alley, he began to hear the groans of the poor, beaten wretch. When he lit a demonic flame in his hands to light the place, he gasped. The person lying in the alley was...

"Gabriel?!" he exclaimed, stunned.

 _No, it can't be him!_ Crowley's brain snarled. _These sonovabitches promised that they would no longer meddle in my affairs or Aziraphale's! No! And even if he's an angel, he... can't be Gabriel... Archangel Fucking Gabriel! He would never be beaten up by mere humans, would he?_

The tall man, dressed in an elegant gray suit (now tattered and stained with blood), black hair with discreet white threads and a perfect face (although somewhat swollen from the punches) looked very much like Gabriel. _But he can't be Gabriel, right? It must be someone else! Someone that looks very much like him!_

When he opened his eyes, the purple color left no doubt.

"Gabriel." the demon repeated, trying to contain the emotions of surprise, anger and - although he hated to admit - fear that spread through his body. "What in the name of Someone are you doing here?!"

The archangel grunted, blinking a few times to regain focus. He looked at the redhead with an expression of doubt. "W-who...?" he started to murmur, with difficulty, but soon his purple eyes widened. "C-crawly?"

“Crowley!” he corrected him. “Oh, do you remember me? Good to know!" the demon tried to look nonchalant, playing with the Hellfire in his hands. If the archangel tried anything against him, he would get a burn that would scar his soul. “What happened to you, big guy? Did you take a beating from mere humans? You, the _Archangel Fucking Gabriel?_ ”

If he seemed offended by those words, Gabriel didn't show it. In fact, he just looked bored.

"Did they... s-send you here...?" he said, with difficulty.

“Huh? Who send me here?”

"Lord B-b-beelzebub." he said, pausing shortly after to swallow. He frowned at the taste of his own blood. "Was... was Hell that sent you to finish the job?"

“What job? Neither I nor Aziraphale responded to anyone else! Nobody sent me to you! We are free! By the way, what are you doing here?”

"Earthly mission." he said at last. "But ... it's not working... ugh!" he put his fingers into his mouth. A tooth had come loose, but he put it in place with a miracle. "I... I'm here... d-doing the job that Aziraphale should be doing..."

"You?! Since when did archangels do this kind of cheap service? I thought it was the Principalities responsible for earthly affairs.”

"I don't trust any more Principalities." it was the first time that Gabriel showed any emotion. In this case, anger. "I... if you want a job well done... ouch!" he tried to get up, but failed. He brought his hand up to his hip, where it should be hurting a lot. “Damn... it’s a s-shame that God forbade us from smitten human millennia ago! Otherwise t-th-those humans, I ... ugh!”

Crowley held back a laugh. It seems that Gabriel didn’t know that there were other ways to defend himself against human aggression that was not just to strike them with lightning or something. But he wouldn’t be the one to teach the archangel that kind of stuff.

“You're out of shape, huh? What's the problem? When was the last time you were on a mission on Earth?”

"Ah... it's been... uh... two thousand years or more?"

"Hahaha! The world has changed a lot in the meantime, _Sunshine!_ ” the demon leaned against the wall, his voice exuded debauchery. “Let me guess: did you think that just your booming voice and your angelic aura would be enough to get humans on the line? Oh, you made a big mistake, big guy! It doesn't work like that anymore!”

Gabriel took a long rueful sigh.

"This world... I can't believe you and your traitorous friend almost sacrificed yourself to save... _this_!"

"Hey, don't you dare talk shit about Aziraphale in front of me!" the demon threatened, making the Hellfire flame shine in his hand. “ANeither from Aziraphale nor from this world! Yes, it has many flaws. A looooooooot! But it’s nowhere near as bad as the shit of Hell or the shinier shit that Heaven is!”

Crowley knelt menacingly over Gabriel, but stepped back when he smelled urine on the taller man. Angels didn't have to pee. They had no such physiological need, even after drinking and eating a lot, as Aziraphale used to do. Then the redhead came to the conclusion that, after being beaten, the humans must have pissed on Gabriel. Disgusting.

“Hah, you really fell from your Grace, huh, archangel? And you didn't even have to _Fall_ in the hellish sense of the word! Hahaha! Look at you! It seems that the mighty Shining Messenger, the Strengh of God, is now lying in a filthy alley in Greater London! Hahaha!"

Gabriel looked up, but there was no anger in his eyes. In fact, even the color of his eyes looked colder, as if they were turning almost blue. A blue full of sadness.

"Why don't you do me a favor... and get on with it?" asked the archangel, in a weak voice.

Crowley blinked a few times.

"What?!"

"Finish me." he said, sighing. “You have Hellfire in your hands now, don't you? So just... finish me off. I'm tired of it all. Very tired."

The demon was silent for a few moments, until he closed his fist and made the flame go out in his hands.

“I am not going to give you an easy solution to your problems, big guy! What's it? After millennia, did you realize that things didn't work out the way you thought? Your damn Great Plan went down the drain and now you can't get your head out of the victim's box to try to do anything useful with the Eternity you have left?! Well, boo-hoo! What a pity! You'll have to get out of this alone, asshole!”

Gabriel opened his mouth and a sound came out of it, but Crowley couldn't tell if it was a word, a grunt or a whimper. He just closed his eyes, ending that conversation.

Oh, but Crowley didn't want to stop there. Not at all.

 _Fuck you, archwanker! Stay there in this alley, reeking of piss and all bruises, which is what you deserve!_ that's what Crowley thought to say to end that conversation once and for all. And he would certainly say that if he was smart.

Oh, but he had just remembered: Crowley was not smart, he was an idiot.

And just because he was an idiot, he put one of Gabriel's arms over his shoulder and helped him to his feet. The archangel moaned every five steps taken and the demon thought of using a teleportation miracle to take him to a hospital or a church. There, humans would take care of him.

But Crowley was not just an idiot, he was a _big_ idiot. And for this reason, he placed the archangel in his Bentley and took him to his apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

_What the hell am I doing?!_ Crowley thought, while driving the car aggressively through the streets of London.

Gabriel was in the back seat, shaking with every sharp turn the demon took. Only by a miracle had he not yet fallen off the seat and been hurt even more.

When he stopped in front of his building, the demon even considered the idea of giving up and simply leaving the archangel on the street. The damn archangel who tried to kill his boyfriend. The bureaucratic asshole he should have burned with Hellfire over a year ago and ended his useless existence.

But Crowley looked into the back seat of the car and saw the defeated image of Gabriel, dirty, injured and groaning in pain. _Ugh, Aziraphale is right, I am... nice! Blessed be me and my idiocy!_

He opened the door and helped the archangel to get up, get into the elevator and then into his apartment. Carefully, he led him to the bathroom.

"You are stinking! Before anything, you better take a shower. You know how a bath works, right?”

"Nnnnh..." the archangel raised his head with difficulty. "Wha... what?"

"Shower!" Crowley gestured, impatient. “You know how to bathe by yourself, don't you? Please, tell me that you know!”

Gabriel nodded slightly and the redhead sighed with relief. Giving him a bath would be just beyond his limit. He snapped his fingers and the shower started running hot water.

“Get rid of these clothes, you can destroy them. For now, you can wear my robe.” explained Crowley, showing Gabriel where things were. “Here is the shampoo, here the soap. Well... go to it, archangel!” and left by closing the door.

The shower was on for almost an hour. The demon feared that maybe Gabriel hadn't even started cleaning himself, or passed out under the shower. He really didn't want to have to spy to see what was going on. To his relief, he finally heard the shower being turned off and the bathroom handle turning.

Gabriel emerged wrapped in the black robe Crowley had offered him. He appeared to be looking a little better, although the wounds on his face swelled even more. Now he could barely open his right eye.

"Here, come here." the demon led him into the room. “Sit on the couch. Since I am a demon, miracles of healing are not my specialty. So it’ll have to be in the human way.”

There was a first aid box open on the coffee table. Crowley took out a cotton ball and dipped it in some merthiolate. The wounds were already clean, but it was good to be safe than sorry. The mortal body of angels didn’t die of disease, but they could still feel its evils, like fever and pain.

Gabriel had wounds all over his body, which made it necessary for him to undress so that the demon could examine him. There were purple spots on his abdomen and back, signaling where he had been punched and kicked by humans. A quick inspection found that, fortunately, he had no broken bones.

Crowley had to use a dozen elastoplasts to protect the archangel's wounds, including two butterfly stitches at the temple to close a gash that didn't stop bleeding even after the shower. The purple areas were treated with dermal patches. Finally, the demon placed two pills of Ibuprofen in Gabriel's hand along with a glass of water.

"Swallow it and then drink the water."

Like a docile sleepwalker, Gabriel obeyed, although his movements were very slow. After the medication, Crowley took the glass from the archangel's hands and snapped his fingers. The sofa where they were both sitting got wider, enough to fit the brunette's long body. The demon closed Gabriel's robe and made him lie down with the head on the pillow. Two blankets covered his body.

“Now sleep. You know how to sleep, don't you? Just close your eyes and... well, close your eyes.”

Gabriel didn’t answer, but closed his eyes. He looked exhausted. And Crowley, when he went to look at himself in the bathroom mirror, too.

 _What the hell am I doing?!_ he thought, leaning his forehead against the glass and deciding to sleep too.

...........................................................

The next morning Crowley's smarthphone played _Wake me Up Before You Go-Go_. The demon grunted, wondering if it was better to turn to the side to sleep some more. After all, there was nothing to worry about that morning. Aziraphale was traveling and he was home alone. There was definitely no asshole archangel in his living room, oh there wasn’t.

Then he remembered: it was not a dream.

Jumping out of bed, the demon ran for the living room. There, he found Gabriel. The archangel was sitting on the couch. The elastoplasts were gone and he no longer looked injured.

"You... ah... are you okay?" Crowley murmured, uncertainly.

The slow, calculated way in which Gabriel turned his head in the demon's direction made him shiver. After a long pause, the taller man said:

"Yes I am." there was monotony in his voice. “I used a miracle on myself to heal my injuries. I don't know why I didn't do that from the beginning.”

"Ah, great!" Crowley clapped his hands. “So, err... are you leaving yet? I can make coffee. Unless you prefer tea, or...! ”

His speech was interrupted by the archangel's fierce gaze. Gabriel stood up, snapped his fingers, and now his body was covered in linen pants and a gray dress shirt. He was wearing white shoes and they made a noise on the floor as he calculatedly walked towards the redhead.

“What's your game, demon? Why did you kidnap me? ” he asked, purple eyes shining.

"W-whaaaat?!" the demon was debased. “Did I kidnap you?! Why, you ...! You... you _damn ungrateful!_ I picked you up from the gutter yesterday, remember? You were all broken and stank of piss and I brought you to my house! I took care of you!”

"You wouldn't do that just for the goodness of your heart, since demons don't have goodness or even a heart." was Gabriel's cynical phrase. "Now say: what do you want with me?"

“What do _I_ want with you?! Why, you archwanker! I want you _to fuck off!_ ” shouted Crowley, trying to suppress that feeling of illogical betrayal that was inside his chest. _It's Archangel Fucking Gabriel, what did you expect from this jerk besides ingratitude?!_ He went on speaking, perhaps in a higher tone than he should speak to an archangel who was supposed to be five times more powerful than he:

“I took care of you! I practically saved your miserable life, since in the alley you even asked me to burn you with my Hellfire! Do you remember that, you prick?! Do you?! Of course not! You angels are a bunch of assholes! They don't know how to recognize true kindness even if it hit them in the face! And since you are already healthy, then get out of my house! I should never have wasted my time with you!”

Gabriel's eyebrows furrowed dangerously. The demon took an instinctive step back, already preparing to be smitten or something.

But the archangel just shook his head, as if he wanted to expel a thought from within it. He turned his back on Crowley and disappeared when a purple lightning bolt entered the room.

Shaking, the demon fell to his knees. _That bloody fucked asshole!_ he thought, feeling more hurt than he should have.

.................................................

Crowley didn't leave the flat for the next 48 hours. He spent the rest of those two days watching repeated movies, drinking alcohol and texting Aziraphale asking how the trip was going. One message every hour.

Even the Principality realized that something was wrong.

“Crowley, dear. You look more daring than usual. What happened?"

"Nothing happened, angel." his voice tried to sound unconcerned on his smartphone. “I just miss you. Only that."

“Oh, dear boy! If you want, I can end my trip now and take the first flight to London... ”

"No! Err, no, angel! Don't ruin your trip because of me! I'm fine! And I'll be waiting for you with open arms - and open legs - when you get back!”

"Oh, you scoundrel!" the angel chuckled. “Well, I promise I'll give you my full attention when I get back, dear! Wait for me!"

“Always, angel! See you later!"

Crowley turned off his smartphone smiling. It was always good to hear your angel's voice. Maybe all that 'taking a break' was all his mistake from the beginning. He missed Aziraphale. He missed his smile, his voice, the warmth of his body and his angelic aura.

And it was when he thought about it that he felt the presence of another angelic aura. Much more robust.

A purple lightning flashed in the middle of the room, making the demon jump behind the sofa. In front of him was the archangel Gabriel.

"Ah!" fear filled Crowley for an instant, until it was replaced by anger. “What... what in the name of Someone are you doing here?! I already told you to stay away from my house!”

The taller man was speechless for a few seconds. He was dressed in a turtleneck shirt and a gray blazer, as well as a scarf around his neck. It was a look almost identical to that time when he and Crowley met at the air base in Tadfield.

"I..." he started, huffing. "I came here to apologize."

The demon's instincts were preparing him to fight or flee from the archangel's presence. But what he heard left him paralyzed.

"What?!"

"I came to apologize." he repeated, uncomfortable. “Sorry, Crawly... no, Crowley. I think I was really ungrateful.”

"Oh, do you _think_ you were ungrateful?" the demon wanted to look angry, but the absurdity of that phrase made him laugh playfully. "How nice! Archangel Fucking Gabriel did an examination of conscience and came to the conclusion that he was... wrong? Oh Lord! Is going to rain frogs tonight?”

"Don't you dare use the name of God in...!" the archangel snarled, but closed his mouth in a thin, straight line and took a long breath. “Listen, I… I'm sorry! I messed up! Yes, I was wrong! You really were very... err... _nice_ of picking me up from the street that day and I didn't thank you and I was still unfair to you. Sorry. And thank you very much for having welcomed me.”

Crowley wanted to gloat over the situation, but changed his mind. He didn't want that embarrassment to last any longer than necessary.

“Oh, well… apologies accepted. I am happy that Archangel Fucking Gabriel has recognized, at least once in his long existence, that someone has helped him. ”

"Can you stop to calling me that?!" the taller man frowned. Then he cleared his throat. "Well, I... uh... I thank you for accepting my apology."

“Hmm, yeah, it's okay. No harm done. ” Crowley went to the apartment door, opening it. Although he knew that the archangel would probably simply teleport with lightning. "Now, if you have no further business to discuss with me..."

"Actually, I still have one."

"Oh?" Crowley raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"You invited me for coffee." he said, seriously. "And I accept."


	3. Chapter 3

The coffee was black as night, hot as hell and bitter as life. The way Crowley liked it. But he figured the archangel would probably not like to try a pure espresso, so he added some milk to cool it down, made it softer and added two teaspoons of sugar. It was almost a cappuccino, although not the best made - not that Gabriel could tell the difference.

"Here." he handed the mug to the archangel. “I imagine that, after what I saw two days ago, people have already sulled the temple of your celestial body, right? Eating and drinking shouldn't matter so much now.”

Gabriel didn't respond and just sipped the hot liquid carefully. He tested it on his tongue for a few moments, tasting it. From his expression, Crowley couldn't tell if he liked it or not, but he continued to drink the sweet liquid.

The two were in Crowley's kitchen, sitting in front of the counter. The two were silent for a few minutes, with only the sound of their sips. The demon chose to not discuss anything, until the silence started to get uncomfortable.

"Are you still on a mission on Earth?" he asked, trying to sound conversational.

"No." Gabriel replied with a sigh. “I should be on a mission, but I'm not. I'm afraid I have no choice but to select another angel to do these earthly jobs for me... which will be a complete disaster. ” he ran his hand through his perfect hair.

"Why, what pessimism from the head of Heaven Office." Crowley chuckled. “It’s not as if the demons were much more competent in their work of making victims fall into temptation. I mean, humans fall into temptation by themselves. In the same way that many repent and try to do something good on their own. It’s a cycle that doesn’t require our interference.”

Gabriel turned to the redhead with an expression of dismay.

“But... but we need to continue to do our jobs! I mean... humans today... most of them no longer fear the wrath of God. When I bring up this subject most humans just laugh at me. How can they be good people this way?”

“Oh, a person not need to fear the wrath of God to be good. I know many atheists who are kinder and more generous than many people who spend their lives inside the church. Even if these people do not believe in God, the good that they have already done to the world will ensure that they go to Heaven and that you and your angel team score points. And I can say that, despite everything, today there are many more people willing to do good than at the time when religions dominated the minds of the majority of the population worldwide.”

"Even so, we still have to go on with our divine work." Gabriel insisted. “But... but I'm afraid I don't know how to do this anymore. And I shudder to think about what can happen if I select another angel to do this job. I don't want another traitor like Aziraphale to show up and ruin our plans again.”

The demon grimaced, thinking of telling the archangel what he thought about the fact that he called his boyfriend a 'traitor', but simply shrugged. It would be a pointless discussion, so he just said:

“Listen, you can trust another Principality from your floc. Aziraphale is rather unique, y’kow?” Crowley explained, leaning towards the archangel. “Probably that the next angel you order to come to Earth will do their service any way Heaven wants. No questions, no disobedience, nothing. You angels all act like a bunch of ants. They never question anything about the orders that come from Above.”

Gabriel thought about it for a while, and after a few moments of silence, he finished drinking the contents of his mug. He swallowed the liquid with some difficulty, probably the archangel should not be used to consuming caloric substances.

“Maybe… I don't know. Deep down, I still wonder why we do this. ” he said, sighing. “The Great Plan is gone and, according to Metatron, God's answer was simply a _'well, go on as usual'_ and nothing more. I really don't know why we are continuing with this work. I mean... for what? What would be the purpose? I dont understand."

"Well, Aziraphake used to say that God's plans are 'ineffable'." Crowley quote the air with his fingers. “You just keep doing the best you can and, whether God intervenes or not, you will certainly think of something creative to do on the spot. There are chances that God just doesn't want to intervene in the destiny of humanity anymore, which makes sense since She has been very quiet in the last centuries. Perhaps God, like every mother who has spent her whole life looking after her children, just wants everyone to leave the basement and go about their own business, without having to consult Her about things every day.”

"It makes no sense. If we, angels, do not follow God's orders, why do we exist?”

“Heh, I don't know. Perhaps, deep down, neither angels nor demons have a use. As I just said, humans do good and bad things without needing our influence. And even the Great Plan, which would have been the culmination of all our efforts for six thousand years, has gone downhill, hasn't it?”

Crowley crossed his hands behind his head and did a relaxed pose while continuing to speak:

“So… maybe this is it! As a depressive nerd I met in Prussia in the nineteenth century would say: _‘God is dead’_... figuratively speaking, of course! We no longer need any Great Plan or small plans! Just enjoy the rest of our existence doing exactly the same thing that humans do: living a life, simple as that!”

For the redhead, that was a comforting thought. Knowing that he was no longer tied to anything except the people he loved, like Aziraphale. That he no longer had obligations to occult or ethereal beings. He was free, he could do whatever he wanted.

But if Gabriel was thinking the same thing, it had a reverse effect.

After a few moments, the archangel began to cry.

"Uh... Gabe?" the demon was startled. "Hey! Why are you...?"

Without answering, the taller man just raised his hands to his face, with his elbows on the bench, and continued to cry. Tears were streaming down his eyes and his breath was heaving. It was a loud, almost desperate cry, like that of a human who has just seen someone dear to him die.

The cry of someone who has lost something very important.

"Hey, hey! Don't do like this... hey, Gabe!” Crowley took a paper towel. “Here, take this... don’t cry. Listen, maybe it’s not the way I said it, okay? Maybe there is still some new Great Plan coming and I don’t know anything. Now, don't cry, okay?”

The redhead's words seemed to calm the archangel, but the tears continued to trickle down his eyes, staining his face until the turtleneck shirt was wet. The demon led him to the bathroom, just like the day before, holding him by the hand.

“Here, wash your face. And, if you need to spend some time alone, the bathroom is all yours.”

Gabriel nodded, turned on the tap and started washing his face.

“I will be in the living room if you still want to talk. But if you don't want to, well... just don't leave without telling me, okay? ”

That said, Crowley closed the door and marched towards his sofa. He buried his head in the pillow and let out a loud growl, but it was drowned out by the fabric.

 _I'm an idiot!_ he thought, as he bit the upholstery on the sofa. _I'm worse than an idiot, I'm an idiot with a THING for... helpless angels!_

Not that the word 'helpless' didn't even make sense when classifying Gabriel. He was an archangel and was probably more powerful than Crowley. But, at the same time...

But, at the same time, he seemed to be much more fragile than he appeared. Helpless. As Aziraphale used to be. The Principality, despite being well versed in swordfight and having more power than he appeared, looked delicate and innocent... soft. And Crowley loved it about him.

Gabriel, on the other hand, was neither delicate nor innocent, much less soft. But...

But.

With another grunt, Crowley almost wished Gabriel would not listen to his advice and get out of his house without telling him as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

Gabriel was lost in darkness.

After Metatron said that all angels could go on doing what they liked to do (and there was a certain emphasis on the term 'what they liked to do') the archangels were all confused and baffled. If there was a Great Plan no more, then, in theory, there were no more missions to be performed.

So, what would be the purpose of their existence?

Almost as if in a kind of collective denial, everyone continued to work as if nothing had happened. Uriel continued training the Thrones angels for a future battle, Sandalphon continued his earthly observation missions with the Virtues angels, Michael continued with his counter-espionage work - which was supported by some demons - and Gabriel... well. He was responsible for giving the Principalities earthly missions: blessings, good deeds, messages, that sort of thing.

But Gabriel couldn’t trust another Principality anytime soon. Although he knew, rationally, that the chances of another subordinate of his being as two-faced as Aziraphale were practically nil, he still couldn’t feel comfortable assigning missions to other angels.

He came to Earth more often. Before, he used to come only once every two months to look at mundane missions, in addition to buying clothes and jogging in the various parks spread throughout the cities of the world. Yes, he had to admit that he was a bit vain and liked to practice this earthly thing called ‘exercise’. That's what he liked to do the most.

 _All angels can, sort of, go on doing what they most enjoy doing_ ; it was God's message. But Gabriel, certainly, shouldn't take it literally. What would his mission be from that moment on? Just go to Earth to buy clothes and run in parks? No, that couldn’t be what God was suggesting. There had to be something more.

He decided to follow the same path as his co-workers and continued to prepare missions on Earth. Following Sandalphon's remarks, he set up memos of the places where blessings needed to be done, miracles and other things. But, how could he do this without subordinates?

Several Principalities have offered to help him, a lot. But Gabriel dismissed them all, he wasn’t comfortable trusting anyone else. Aziraphale's betrayal affected him more than he would like to admit.

So, he started coming to Earth almost every day. It had been millennia since he had walked in the dirty alleys where human vices accumulated. And, as Crowley had told him, he really was out of shape. He was unable to appeal to the good conscience of a single human and he even heard rude words several times. And two days ago, he was brutally beaten in an alley.

Never in his entire life has he felt so useless. So flawed. So pointless. He was tired of it.

And then, Crowley appeared. And he helped him.

Gabriel's indoctrinated mind barely believed it was possible. He just couldn't believe that a demon could be good. Well, on the other hand, he could never hope that an angel - in the case of Aziraphale - could be evil.

Actually he, an archangel, really did know how to differentiate between Good and Evil better than most humans? Gabriel no longer understood how the world worked. And now, inside the bathroom of a demon's house, he felt he understood even less.

Maybe he never understood anything from the beginning.

The only thing left for him was to wash his face, appear minimally presentable and composed, say goodbye to his host and thank him again for being so attentive. And, above all, for not following through with the stupid and sinful idea that Gabriel had suddenly that night: being burned with hellfire.

He didn’t know what dark corner of his mind such a thought came from. Gabriel certainly did not want to be destroyed or hurt. He just wanted... just... only...

He wanted that pain that plagued his soul to stop. Only that.

 _What a greeeeeat angel I am! I should be comforting human souls in despair and not be the one in despair!_ Gabriel thought, reproaching himself. _I was in such a pitiful state that I needed the help of a demon... ugh!_

The archangel shook his head. He didn’t want to repeat the old pattern of thinking and decided to anchor himself in the reality of the moment: he was at Crowley's house and he certainly should be leaving soon. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to stay there.

But first, perhaps he would have given Crowley some reward for helping him. It would be fair.

..........................................

The archangel came out of the bathroom and found Crowley in the living room. The demon was looking at the ceiling when he turned his head towards the brunette.

“I owe you an apology. Again." Gabriel said. "I should act more composed, but still..." he shook his head. "Sorry."

 _So cute!_ Crowley thought, in a tone that he tried to interpret as mocking, but it certainly wasn't. With a sigh, he said:

"Don't be sorry for showing your feelings." the phrase sounded almost like a scolding. “I know that, for Heaven, this kind of display of lower feelings, such as anger or sadness, is repressed. But you should be free to express what you’re feeling, no matter what it is. Then no. Do _not_ apologize! Feel free to express anything.”

The redhead's statement almost made Gabriel cry again, after all there were still many feelings of low vibration inside his chest, but the archangel held on. He rubbed his face and said:

“Err… right. Anyway, I... well, I better go. ”

"Do you have an urgent appointment?" Crowley asked before he could stop himself.

"No." the archangel paused. “Not anymore, but... I don't want to disturb you, staying at your home longer than necessary. Anyway, I... ”another pause. "I would like to thank you."

"You already thanked me."

“Not just in words. I want to give you a gift. ”

The redhead was speechless for a moment and tried, with all his might, not to let his trail of thoughts take his mind to the gutter.

"Eh? W-what g-gift?!"

"Your choice. Ask for what you want from me. ” said the archangel, straightening up. “Oh, as long as what you ask me is not something that will harm or hurt another person. If it's reasonable, I can do it. ”

Crowley remained speechless, thinking of all the things he could ask Gabriel for. _He's a fucking archangel, he certainly has access to a lot o things! And he can do a lot!_ the redhead thought, smiling. _Maybe I should ask him for some holy water? After all, it’s always good to have a little as a precaution. Or should I ask for some sacred weapon or something? Not that I'm able to use it, but it would be nice to have some extra protection for Aziraphale... oh, and how am I going to explain how I got the artifact for him? No, I should ask for something else. But what?_

While thinking, the demon licked his lips. And it was in the moment that he decided what he wanted:

"I want a kiss."

Gabriel's purple eyes widened.

"I beg your pardon?!"

 _Take it back!_ Crowley's mind screamed. _Remove this absurd request, before it's too late!_

"A kiss." Crowley repeated, feeling that his cheeks were heating up. "On the lips... if that is... err... a r-reasonable request."

 _Are you a complete idiot?_ Crowley's mind snarled. _Yes, I am a complete idiot!_ it was the thought he returned to his own angry mind. _It’skay, I'm sure Gabriel isn't going to accept this stupid request, anyway._

The archangel was silent for a few moments. An expression on his face showed anxiety.

"I ... I never did that before." the brunette said at last. "But if you don't mind my... lack of skill... I can do it."

Okay, now Crowley's face was red as a beet. Not that Gabriel could see it in the dim light of the room.

Swallowing, the demon waited for the archangel to approach, which he did reluctantly. Not because he doesn't like the idea of kissing a demon, but because of the fear of doing something totally alien to everything he had already done in his six thousand years of existence.

 _Oh, he looks so helpless now!_ Crowley thought, using all his willpower to simply not jump on the archangel.

Gabriel was close enough now. His chest almost touched the redhead's. He was a little taller than the demon, but his slumped shoulders made him lose a few inches of stature. Also licking his lips, he approached Crowley.

And kissed him.

The lips connected for a few seconds, until the archangel moved away. Oh, and how Crowley wished he hadn't done that. He wanted to wrap Gabriel in his arms and open his mouth for him to kiss him again.

No, he didn't want to scare him any further.

"Uh... was that acceptable?" the brunette asked, purple eyes filled with apprehension.

"Yeah..." the demon nodded. "Was it... acceptable to you too?"

The question took the archangel by surprise.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Oh, good!" Crowley chuckled, filled his chest, which made his body touch Gabriel's, and finally said: "Next time you're walking on Earth and want to come here, just to spend some time, chat with me..." _kiss me more often!_ "... uh, feel free."

"Thank you." the archangel smiled. "Now I need to go."

This time, Gabriel used the door. He crossed the room slowly, as if he were felling sad to leave, but he had to go. He looked over his shoulder one last time and smiled before closing the door.

His aura was gone from the building, the archangel was gone. Crowley rubbed his arms, feeling terribly alone.


	5. Chapter 5

"Crowley, dear!" Aziraphale ran to his demon's arms. "I'm back!"

The two hugged each other at the airport and kissed. The Principality's trip was over and he was back in London. Back to his husband's arms.

"I missed you, angel!" Crowley kissed him again, not even caring about his sunglasses that fell to the floor so eagerly he was. "I missed you very, very much!"

“Dear boy! Don't worry, I promise I'll take care of you now! ”

Smiling, the demon kissed the angel once more. He was sure things would be fine now.

………………

"Something wrong?" Aziraphale asked, concerned. Crowley was lying with his head on the angel's chest. "You looked tense, dear."

"S'nothing..." the redhead lied, even though he knew that, for a demon, he lied very badly.

"Crowley." Aziraphale ran a hand over the redhead's sweat-damp hair. "Tell me what happened."

With a grunt, the demon raised its head. He tried to look Aziraphale in the eye, but failed.

"Uh, you once told me that... well, you said... that m-maybe, if I... uh... if I ever wanted to... but only occasionally I... want say, almost never, just once in a while and... oh, but who knows... "

"Honey, I don't understand anything." the angel frowned. "Speak at once."

"Kiss!"

"What?"

"Y-you said... once you y-said you wouldn't mind if I... uh... k-kissed someone else, once in a while!" he covered his face.

"Ah, is that it?" the Principality chuckled and hugged his demon. “Yes, dear, that's exactly what I said. If any of these days you feel attracted to someone else and you want to have fun, I won't be upset.”

"Uh... why not?"

"Because I know you love me." the angel kissed him on the forehead. "And... well, even if you ever stop loving me..."

"Never!" Crowley interrupted him and kissed him on the lips. "I'll never stop loving you!"

"I'm glad to hear this." Aziraphale took the redhead's hand and kissed his knuckles. “But, as I was saying, even if you ever stopped loving me, I would still love you and wish you were happy. So even if that possibility exists, I will always wish you to have everything you want, including carnal pleasure with other people. I will not be a hindrance to your fun.”

"Oh, I see."

“Is that what happened and made you so tense? Did you kiss someone else in my absence?”

"Err... yes! It was nothing planned, but... ”

"It's all right. I figured it would be difficult for you, with me being away. In fact, when you first suggested the idea of taking a break, I even thought it was implied that you would like to look for someone else.”

"No! I wanted to take a break just to be able to do some things that I did in my 'single' time, like watching bad movies, stuffing myself with processed food and other shit things that I don't do when I'm with you.”

"Oh dear! Know that I am more jealous in knowing that you prefer to eat industrial hamburger than the one I do at home!” Aziraphale pouted. A lovely pout.

Crowley just smiled and kissed his angel. He was relieved.

But at one point, the tension returned.

Fortunately, Aziraphale didn’t notice. Crowley had a stiff neck for a few moments. An unpleasant shiver ran down his spine, but the blonde interpreted that tremor as something else.

 _Okay, it was just a coincidence._ the demon thought to himself, trying to focus on Aziraphale. _That feeling... that was just a coincidence! It is! Although similar it is just a stupid coincidence!_

The redhead deepened the kiss, silencing his thoughts.

……………………

Crowley spent three days at the bookstore. The couple spent all hours of the day together, until Aziraphale started paying attention to the dozens of books he bought on the trip. The demon knew that, for a time, the Principality would only pay attention to them.

It was time to go home and take a nap for 18 hours or more. Then he would return to his boyfriend's arms. This was the initial plan, but it ended up going down the drain as soon as the demon opened the door to his flat.

“Aaahh! What are _you_ doing here?!"

"You said I could come." was Gabriel's timid response.

 _No, I will not waste time explaining to this stupid angel about doorbells, previous phonecalls or something!_ Crowley thought, with a grunt.

"Ngk... yeah, so I said!" the demon removed his glasses and rubbed his face. He was cursing himself for not having noticed the archangel's aura before. He was probably still intoxicated by Aziraphale's residual energy and didn't notice the difference. "Uh... so... what's the news?"

Gabriel went silent and turned his face away. You could see that he was biting the inside of his cheek in disgust.

"I... I have made some more observations on humans."

"Oh, cool." Crowley removed his coat and motioned for the archangel to sit on the sofa. "And have you learned anything new?"

"Yes, a lot." the archangel sat, but his posture was not relaxed. "I, huh ... based on what you taught me, about the invitation to coffee, I decided to visit a coffee shop."

"How interesting." the demon rolled his eyes. "And did you drink a lot of coffee?"

"Not much. In fact, I was just watching humans.” the archangel seemed a little afraid to share his findings. “Many of them drink coffee alone. Others are accompanied. And I found the interaction of humans quite varied when they are in pairs.”

"Like, couples?"

“Yes… something like that. Not all are couples in the sense of Adam and Eve, some are just friends or colleagues.”

"Oh, what a great discovery of yours!" Crowley was already starting to get bored, but he continued to pay attention to the archangel's speech.

“Many couples have entered the establishment. One, particularly young, wore school uniforms and seemed to chat animatedly... while blushing when they received compliments from each other. I think they also had their doubts about how to act in certain social situations.”

"Hmm, neat."

"Another couple, older, was sitting at a table in the back, next to each other, they... uh... they kissed."

"It's what couples do." Crowley said, casually. But as soon as the phrase escaped his lips, he regretted saying it. Especially with the curious look that Gabriel gave him. _Oh, I know exactly what you're thinking about now, archangel! Stop thinking!_ “Err... I mean, not just couples! I met some human cultures that exchanged kisses just for... uh... friendship.”

"Friendship." Gabriel repeated, with a look of doubt. “Well, it can be. But I think those two humans were really a couple and not just friends. They acted like a couple, and... well, there was another couple who didn't act like a couple.”

"What do you mean?"

“They didn't look very happy in each other's company. They barely looked at each other and seemed to exchange grumbles instead of words.”

"Ah yes. It happens. Sometimes couples fight. And they only tolerate each other for various reasons.”

“Oh, are you serious? Human interactions are indeed very varied and complex. Have they always been like this? Have I been so alien to humanity for all these years?”

“Heh! There is really a lot to learn about humans! Zira and I have been here for six thousand years and we didn’t see enough.” the demon said, throwing his head back. “Several people have tried to write about human behavior, tried to rationalize it, but it’s almost impossible to cover all aspects of the theory. It's the kind of thing you learn from living among humans. In time, you will instinctively know when someone is flirting, when someone is being sarcastic, or cruel, or bothered... whatever! You need to live with humans to learn these little things.”

" ... I don't know if I can do this." the archangel murmured, putting his hands together in a way that resembled Aziraphale. _Ngk, damn it!_ Crowley shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “I don't even know if I want to do this. I ... just these last few days when I struggle to understand them... and I don't even know if this effort will be worth it. I don't know if I still want to do this job. Perhaps, as you said, it’s useless.”

Crowley was thinking of something to say, but failed. The way was to put a hand on the archangel's shoulder to offer him some comfort. The two were silent for some time, until Gabriel took a long breath.

"I was an idiot."

"..." Crowley bit his tongue to not strongly agree with that statement. “Heh, everyone is always a little bit of an idiot when it comes to human relationships. But you’re learning, it takes time.”

"I don't mean that." the archangel closed his eyes and then opened them. They looked a little damp. "I mean... my crime."

"Uh, crime?"

“I should never have tried to execute Aziraphale or even collaborated with yours. I see now.”

The demon seemed genuinely surprised by that statement. He would never have expected the archangel to actually admit that the execution order for both him and the Principality was unfair.

"Okay, waters under the bridge."

"No." Gabriel said, in a rueful voice. “You two could have ceased to exist. And that... that would be unforgivable! You two are a couple, aren't you? Don't you love each other?”

"Yes of course." the question was so straightforward that Crowley had no chance to beat around the bush. "Aziraphale and I love each other."

"Exactly. And there is nothing more sinful than destroying love.” Gabriel had a rueful expression on his face. “I… I don't know how I was not punished by God for being so unfair. I ... I should have Fallen.”

“Hey, hey, hold your horses! Your Fall, or even your destruction, wouldn’t improve things. Furthermore, Aziraphale has already forgiven you and I forgive you too.”

Gabriel turned his face to Crowley, dumbfounded. His big purple eyes filled with surprise.

"You _forgive_ me?!" his breath started to become heavy, indicating a great emotion held in his chest. "But... I... I know that angels c-can forgive each other, but demons ... uh, I m-mean, not that I'm thinking that you... err, I didn't mean to offend, but...!"

“Relax, big guy! I, in your shoes, would also be bestified by what I just said. Not long ago I also thought that certain things were unforgivable... that we demons were unforgivable... but Aziraphale taught me that forgiveness can come from the most unlikely places. And I... well... I forgive you.”

There. No way Gabriel could hold back the tears afther that. They started to fall right after Crowley finished that sentence.

And, once again, Crowley felt caught up in the vision before him. With a sigh, he hugged Gabriel.

And Gabriel hugged him back.

The archangel cried softly on the redhead's shoulder, his breath hitched and his tears moistening the fabric of Crowley's shirt. The demon stroked Gabriel's back, trying to comfort him.

And that's when he felt it again.

It was definitely not a coincidence.

Every time Crowley was with Aziraphale, he felt a pleasant warmth, like the flame of a fireplace burning on a cold day. Like coming home after a long day at work. Yes, this feeling of 'coming back to home' was exactly what he felt when his and the Principality's souls connected.

And that was what he was feeling at the moment with Gabriel.

Although his rational mind screamed at him to stop, his sensitized, and somewhat wounded, soul forced him to be held by the archangel. And so the two stayed for the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

Crowley only realized that time passed when his smartphone started to ring. The alarm clock only served to warn him that it was time to turn on his side and sleep more. At that time, the chosen song that was playing was _Crying in the Rain_.

Coincidentally, that morning was rainy too. The sound of drops of water hitting the glass made a pleasant melody. It was cold, so he snuggled a little closer to the body of the archangel, who remained in the same place, lying next to him on the couch - which had been extended to fit both comfortably.

Gabriel didn’t sleep, while the demon dozed off from time to time. The two started it with a long hug, until Crowley suggested that they both lie down, facing each other. With a comforting hand around the archangel's waist, the redhead pulled him close. They stayed like that all night.

That was when the demon had to break that spell. He reached for his smartphone and turned off the music. At that moment, lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating Gabriel's face.

The archangel had a serene expression, although his eyes were slightly swollen from crying. Crowley comforted him until he put everything out. Eventually, he calmed down and just stared into the demon's face in the darkness.

"Don't you want to sleep?" the redhead suggested, after he started to feel that that look was getting uncomfortable.

"I am not sleepy."

"I know. You are an angel, you don't feel sleepy.” Crowley chuckled. "But sometimes it’s good to sleep to relax."

"I'm relaxed." the archangel moved his hands twitchily in front of his body, not knowing exactly what to do with them. "Well, I'm a little more relaxed, at least."

"Oh well. If you want to stay here for a while, until you feel better... ”

"Can I?" was Gabriel's hopeful question.

"Sure." and with that, Crowley put his arm around his waist, bringing him close and making Gabriel's head touch his chest. It was better than having an archangel awake all night looking at him.

The hours passed and the demon fell asleep, until he was woken by his smartphone. When he turned off the music and looked at Gabriel, the archangel still had his head nestled in his chest, his puffy eyes half open. The lightning flashing outside gave an ethereal vividness to his purple eyes.

"Are you ok, big guy?"

Gabriel nodded, rubbing his face against Crowley's chest.

“Oh… great. I, uh... think I'm going to get up and make coffee.”

The archangel moved to allow the demon to rise from the couch. Stretching, Crowley went to the kitchen and turned on the coffee machine. He prepared an espresso for himself and a Sugar and Spice for Gabriel, with honey and cinnamon. He took the mug to Gabriel, who was sitting on the couch watching the rain.

The two took their drinks in silence, as they had the first time. But it was possible to hear the soft sound of pleasure that the archangel made when he tasted the drink.

"Did you like this one?" the demon asked.

“Yes... I think I liked it. It’s sweet and hot at the same time, an interesting combination.”

"Oh, good!" feeling a childish pride in his work, Crowley said: “There are several combinations that can be made with coffee. Have you tried Black Magic? It's good! And if you liked the little burning touch, there are other drinks that are not based on coffee but that cause the same sensation, like Masala Chai.”

"What is this?"

“Tea with ginger and cinnamon. I have the ingredients, if you want to try it.”

Gabriel looked towards his own mug, finishing drinking its contents.

“I... I’ll try for another time. I think I am experiencing too many new things for the same day.”

“Heh, humans value new experiences a lot. They like to grab as many as they can at the same time. You don't have to limit yourself to one a day.”

Gabriel turned the empty mug over in his fingers, a shadow of doubt hung over his face.

"Oh, come on!" Crowley nudged him with his elbow. “You needn't be ashamed! If you want to try something new today, just ask.”

"Well, I..." he swallowed. "When I went to the coffee shop yesterday, I saw... I saw something new that I would like to try."

"And what fancy drink would that be?"

"It’s not a drink."

The two were silent for a moment. And then Crowley remembered that Gabriel didn't go to the cafeteria just to drink coffee, but to watch humans. And he observed many humans in pairs. Couples. Kissing.

"Uh... well..." the demon cleared his throat. "Ask, then."

Gabriel continued to look at Crowley, his shoulders hunched. Clear temptation in his eyes, as well as fear. The redhead decided to give the incentive: he deposited his cup on the coffee table and took the mug from the archangel's hands.

“Come on, ask. I have the impression it's something I want too.”

"Oh." the archangel looked away, but then looked at Crowley again. "Well... I think it's similar to what you asked me for that day, but... different. At least humans were doing it differently.”

"You talk about a kiss."

Gabriel blushed and nodded.

“Hmm, there are different ways to kiss. I'm not sure what you saw, but was it something like...” he inclined over and took Gabriel's face in his hands. "...this?"

The kiss began soft and chaste, until the demon ran his tongue over the archangel's closed lips. He blew out a soft breath and Crowley took the opportunity to slide his tongue inside. The redhead tried not to look too eager, moving his lips gently. The taste of honey and cinnamon invading his mouth.

After a few moments, Crowley moved away.

"Was… it was something like that?"

"Uh... y-yes." Gabriel smiled, embarrassed. "It was... better than I expected."

"It can get even better." the demon chuckled. "Try again, this time move your tongue with mine."

The archangel nodded and approached Crowley. The two kissed again, and this time, Gabriel's tongue learned that it needed to be part of the equation. And his broad, strong hands enveloped the demon, one on the back of his neck and the other on his waist. And the redhead allowed himself to melt in the kiss, taking advantage of the physical contact between the two. The pleasant flame that warmed his soul, giving him the feeling of being at home, shining more intensely.

Until, suddenly, the flame went out. In a somewhat sudden movement, Gabriel stopped kissing him and walked away quickly. He looked scared.

 _Damn… he finally realized that he had been kissing a fucking demon all this time and regretted it?_ Crowley thought, a little hurt, but understanding. And Gabriel noticed the hurt in his eyes.

“Oh, Crowley, f-forgive me! I... I w-w-wanna ...! ” he babbled. "I m-mean, I wanted to touch you, but I... uh...!"

"S’allright." the redhead nodded. “You were just a little bit curious to know physical contact, I imagine you angels don't have much of these things. But I suppose your curiosity has now been satiaded.”

"No, not completely." Gabriel shifted restlessly and approached Crowley again. “I mean... I still want to learn a little more about humans. Learn a little more about... physical contact... but it's just... I don't know, I think something just got out of place just now.”

“It was guilt? Did you feel guilty about kissing me?”

“No, it was not guilt. It was... uh... I can't explain what it was.”

“I see. Well, I don't mind teaching you more, as long as you're comfortable with me. It's been a long time since I've been a tempter, you know? I don't want to convince you to do something that you will regret later.”

Gabriel looked at Crowley curiously, surprised by that statement. He smiled and took the redhead's hand, giving it a friendly squeeze.

"Thank you. I... well... I don't know exactly how to proceed now.”

“Hmmm, I have an idea: how about we go on a date at a club, next weekend? There will be many humans, you will be able to observe them closely. And, well, I don't know if trying alcohol would be too much for you, but... they are definitely going to have something you will like.”

"Sounds good." the archangel nodded. "So, where is this club?"

"Come here at 7:00 pm on Saturday and I'll take you there."

"Okay, then, until Saturday."

"Until then."

Gabriel looked away, not knowing how to say goodbye. The demon, in a very educational way, stood up, taking him by the hand to the door and gave the archangel a quick peck on the lips.

"Don't forget, here at home Saturday, at 7 pm."

"I will not forget. Bye."

Gabriel walked down the hall to the elevator. Crowley was surprised how he simply didn’t use a miracle to teleport. The redhead went to the flat window, watching the crowd below. He saw the moment Gabriel left the building. Not a drop of rain hitting his body and Crowley could see why: invisibly, his lilac wings were protecting him from the rain.

 _What did he feel was out of place?_ Crowley thought, uncomfortable. He really hoped that the archangel wouldn’t give up on the date, as he was really feeling more and more involved with him.

…………………………………..

The days proceeded smoothly until the following weekend. Crowley stayed at Aziraphale's bookstore, taking care of his Principality. And although he told him it was okay if Crowley wanted to have fun with someone else, the demon still felt a twinge of guilt.

"Angel, I... uh..." he shifted on the couch where he was lying, with his head in Aziraphale's lap. "I need to tell you something."

The Principality was reading a book while Crowley's head rested on his lap. With a curious look, he looked away from the pages.

"You can talk, dear."

"..." he opened his mouth to speak, but thought it better to change his position. He got up and looked his angel in the eye (or at least tried to look him in the eye). "I... I'm going on a date tonight."

"Oh, really?" Aziraphale chuckled. “Good, dear! So I know that I can watch my chick flicks until tomorrow, since you'll be busy.”

"Heh... yes." Crowley was more relieved, but he couldn't feel an apprehension for what he was about to say next. "But... uh... I need to tell you who that person is."

"Is someone I know?"

The demon nodded.

"Well, if you feel more comfortable like that, you can tell me."

Crowley was far from confortable, but he cleared his throat and said:

"I... I'm going on a date with... Gabriel."

Aziraphale raised an eyebrow, trying to remember all the Gabriels he knew. Unfortunately, he didn't know many.

"Wait... do you mean...‘The’ Gabriel?!" he looked shocked. "Archangel Gabriel...?!"

"I cancel it!" the demon raised his hands, as if trying to calm the angel, although he was the one who needed to be calm. "I... I cancel the date! If it hurts you, I stop this immediately and promise that I will never see his face again!”

"Crowley, wait." the Principality took the redhead's hands. “I just want to understand how you met Gabriel again. He... he didn't threaten you, did he? Wasn't he hunting you, or something?”

"No. I met him in an alley in Lambeth the week you were traveling. He had been taking a pretty bad beating from some humans.”

"Beaten… by humans?!" the blonde's eyes widened.

"Long story. Anyway, he... well, it looks like the whole Non-Armageddon event ended up affecting him deeply. He doesn't seem to be the same prick he used to be, he even apologized for collaborating in our execution. And he... he seemed sincere. And I don't think he's a threat, either to me or to you now.”

Aziraphale was still looking at Crowley with an expression of astonishment and disbelief. Finally, he just sighed.

“Well, I confess that I am rather surprised. I mean, maybe not so much. Of all the four archangels, Gabriel has always been the friendliest - which doesn't mean much, of course! But if what you told me is true, then I’m not opposed to you dating Gabriel.”

“I'm not datING him! It's just one date, that's all!”

"And do you intend to stop after that?"

"I don't see myself spending the rest of eternity with him, if that's what you're asking me." Crowley said, very seriously. “Much less if you feel uncomfortable about this. Say the word, angel, and I promise I won't see Gabriel again.”

“Oh, dear boy! I already told you that I’ll always be yours, as long as you want me.” Aziraphale kissed the redhead's knuckles. “And who am I to denie anyone from loving another? I know you don't like it when I say that, honey, but you are nice, Crowley. You’re much better than many angels I have met. It’s perfectly natural that you want to share that infinite love that you have within you with more than one person. And I just feel happy that I'm one of those people.”

"Damn it, angel." Crowley smiled, although his lips trembled. “I… uh… I l-love you so much! I love you so much!" a tear streamed from his eyes. "Thank you for being so... so...!"

"Don’t cry, love." Aziraphale wiped the tear away with his thumb. “After all, you must look good when you go on your date with Gabriel today, right? Come on, let me help you choose your clothes.”


	7. Chapter 7

"Wow, you’re beautiful!" the redhead said, sincerely.

"Thank you." Gabriel smiled, looking at himself. He knew that human etiquette required him to wear less formal clothes on a date, but at the same time he needed to look good. At the moment, he was wearing jeans, a black T-shirt and a leather jacket. "I saw it in a shop window with the words 'casual wear night out' and I thought it would be appropriate."

"And it is." Crowley smiled. He was dressed in his favorite leather pants, in addition to a black Queen shirt and a dark red blazer that matched his hair color. "Come on, let's go to that club I told you about."

After a few minutes of driving through the streets of London (always at high speed), the demon and the archangel arrived at K-Seven’s House. The club was famous for having an excellent selection of songs from the 70s and 80s, the way Crowley liked it. As soon as they entered, the song _Don’t Stop me Now_ hit them hard.

"Yeah, nice start!" Crowley practically had to shout for Gabriel to hear his voice over the loud sound.

He pulled the archangel by the hand through the crowd of people, some with wide eyes admiring the beauty of that tall brunette. And maybe, because of that, the demon squeezed Gabriel's hand tighter, pulling him closer.

They reached the bar, but the redhead decided to order Gabriel a soda. The archangel tried the liquid, but made a face.

"Didn't like it?"

"Too sweet! More than that coffee you served me with honey.”

“Oops, my mistake! But I guess you're no stranger to bubbles, right? You already had sparkling water.”

"yes. It's not bad, but I think it makes more sense for me to drink it when I'm exercising.”

"You don't need to exercise."

"And you don't have to consume liquids or food."

“Ah, touché! So, let's try an energetic for you!”

A bluish drink was served and Gabriel tried it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the kind of thing he would be looking forward to drinking again. Crowley, in turn, got a caipirinha and smiled broadly. When he turned around, he realized that the archangel was paying attention to the people in the club.

There were groups that danced to the music, others preferred to stay at the bar. Others were leaning against the walls, holding a glass. Several social dynamics were occurring at the same time and it must have been difficult for Gabriel to follow them all.

"Why do humans move so much?" the brunette asked.

"Oh, they are dancing."

"Like… in a religious ritual?"

"Oh no! Nothing like that! I mean, some people love music enough to worship certain artists as if they were gods! But it’s not quite there. People usually dance for fun, to let go and sometimes even to exercise.”

"I understand." the music that was playing at the time was very lively, until it changed to a calmer one. More specifically _Total Eclipse of the Heart_. "Now they are moving more slowly, it doesn't seem like a good rhythm to exercise the body."

"Ah yes! Romantic songs are really slower, they only serve for couples to hug and be together.”

Gabriel nodded and looked at Crowley. A thought crossed his mind, but... _no._

While the archangel seemed divided by the situation, the demon seemed to be enjoying himself. The two spent a long time watching the humans, with the redhead explaining to Gabriel several of the interactions that existed. Of course, it was impossible to learn everything in one night, but at least Crowley was going to try to teach the archangel to detect an imminent threat to his physical integrity.

“... and remember, Gabe! Never again let a bunch of wankers hit you! You can fight back if you want.”

“God forbade us to use our powers against humans. Well, at least directly against them.”

“You don't have to use your miracles. Your body is strong, your punch can turn off the lights of any idiot who wants to mess with you!”

"Really?" Gabriel looked at his fist. “I… I don't know. Still, it would be smitten a human. Even if I didn't kill him, I... uh...”

“Okay, you don't have to hurt anyone if you don't want to. But you can get out of trouble with a miracle.”

“In front of humans? I cannot reveal my divine nature like this.”

“Ugh, you can manipulate their minds so that they forget! I do this all the time."

“We angels don't do that. This is a demon thing.”

"Oh, sorry."

"Uh...!" Gabriel bit his lip. "I'm-sorry, I ... I didn't mean to ...!"

"Alright, Gabe!" Crowley chuckled. “I’m not offended! But, you know, sometimes you can break the rules. Especially when you need to defend yourself.”

"I ... I will think about it."

The two continued to watch humans, with Crowley explaining other types of interactions. Until the song on the track that started playing was _Hunting High and Low_.

"Oops, it's one of my favorites!" Crowley smiled, interrupting his explanations and starting to sing the song.

_Here I am… and within the reach of my hands_

_She's sound asleep and she's sweeter now than the wildest dream could have seen her… and I watch her slipping away._

Gabriel watched his lips move, reciting the words to the song. The archangel seemed mesmerized for a moment.

_But I know I'll be hunting high and low!_

_High_

_There's no end to the lengths I'll go to hunting high and low!_

He looked to the side and noticed that humans were dancing more slowly. Some embraced. Biting his lip, he wondered if Crowley would agree to do the same.

"Can we... can we do the same?" he pointed to the people on the floor.

The demon stopped singing, surprised by the proposal.

"Ngk... if you really want to..." he murmured, setting his glass aside. "Come on."

_High_

_There's no end to the lengths I'll go… to find her again!_

_Upon this my dreams are depending through the dark_

The two went to an empty part of the dance floor. Gabriel, of course, knew absolutely nothing about dancing - after all, angels don't dance. - but a person didn't have to be a master to enjoy the music.

Then Crowley just hugged the archangel and the two started moving slowly, with the demon leading.

_I sense the pounding of her heart next to mine_

_She's the sweetest love I could find_

_So I guess I'll be hunting high and low_

Crowley buried his face in the archangel's shoulder, smelling his scent. He already knew the smell of Aziraphale and could smell it even if he used a new cologne. But Gabriel's scent was new and his strong body gave him the impression that he was being protected rather than protecting someone. Despite the angelic nature of the two, they were quite different.

And that wasn’t a bad thing, that was good. The sensation of the archangel's firm body next to Crowley's body, the more woody smell and even somewhat seasoned with Heaven's ozone, was quite pleasant.

_High_

_There's no end to the lengths I'll go to… high and low!_

_High_

_Do you know what it means to love you?_

The world seemed to disappear around them, leaving only the sound of music in the background, packing their movements. Again, Crowley felt the souls of the two merging. The most vulnerable way they could face another being.

Only supernatural creatures, like angels and demons, could make this kind of spiritual connection. And a level of mutual trust was needed, which was not always easy. But the fact that Crowley was feeling it meant that not only was his soul open, but that of the archangel as well. At that moment, both trusted each other fully to open a channel for their souls.

But in a moment, Gabriel closed that channel and escaped his arms.

"Crowley, I... I think I b-better go!"

_I'm hunting high and low!_

_And now she's telling me she's got to go away!_

"What? Why?" the demon seemed startled by that sudden change in attitude. “You acted like that in my flat too. Tell me, what's the problem?”

“There’s no problem... for now.” the archangel turned his face. "But this could turn out to be a problem."

_I'll always be hunting high and low_

_Hungry for you (and now she's telling me)_

_Watch me tearing myself to pieces_

"Gabriel!" Crowley held his face so that the brunette looked at him. “For whom can this be a problem? For me? For you? Someone in Heaven knew that we are meeting and threatened you, is that it?! Please tell me!"

_Hunting high and low!_

_High_

_There's no end to the lengths I'll go to_

"S-sorry ...!" he pushed the demon's hands away from his face. "I gotta go!"

The archangel turned his back and left the track.

_Oh, for you, I'll be hunting high and low!_

_No!_ Crowley thought, in despair, and ran after Gabriel.

The archangel started to walk among the humans, looking for the exit of that place. However, he stopped when he felt a firm hand grab him. He was already prepared to tell Crowley to leave him alone, when...

"Hey, I've been watching you for a while, handsome!" a human was holding him. “I saw that you had a fight with your boyfriend on the dance floor! Do you like new meat?”

"What?!" Gabriel was so shocked that he couldn't even think of an answer. He didn't even understand what the human was saying.

"Come on, a hot guy like you shouldn't end the night alone!" the human said, letting go of his arm. However, his hands were now beginning to slide over the archangel's shoulders and chest. "What's your name? Don't you feel like having fun with someone new tonight?”

"No... I ... uh!" Gabriel stopped talking when he felt that the human had touched him in a place where not even the archangel himself was used to touching.

“Oh, come with me, handsome! I know you will like it!”

Gabriel started to feel sick to his stomach. Although it didn't seem like an aggression, the way that human touched him was highly inappropriate. It was different from an attack with punches and kicks and the archangel didn't know what to do. He couldn't just kill that human, he couldn't just use a miracle to escape the situation. He didn't know what to do.

The answer to that matter came in the form of a punch to the human's face.

"Back the _fucking off_ , asshole!" Crowley screamed, his snake fangs showing - luckily, in that light, humans could barely notice. And speaking of miracles, Gabriel felt demonic energy being conjured. Crowley probably used some trick to prevent other humans from noticing the confusion.

Quickly, he grabbed Gabriel by the hand and pulled him out of the club. When the two were already on the street, the demon grabbed him by the shoulders, angrily.

“Listen, Gabe... if you don't want to be with me, fine! I ... I completely understand if you don't want to be with me or never want to see my face again, but ... _don't let these dirty humans abuse you!_ Don't let them hurt you! Don't let them touch you without your permission! Are you listening to me?! _Don't_ let them mistreat you!”

That was a strange sensation, which the archangels didn’t experience every day: safety. In theory, archangels are among the most powerful creatures in existence, they don't need to be protected.

But that feeling of having someone who wants to protect you (even if it is someone considerably weaker than you) made Gabriel shed a tear.

"C-crowley, I... uh...!"

"No! Don’t Cry, please!" Crowley embraced the archangel. “Oh, by God and by Satan... what do I need to do, Gabe? What do I need to do to make you stop with this nonsense and let me protect you?”

The demon was silent, not intending to release Gabriel until he got an answer. Even if the answer was ‘stay away from me, fiend!’ or something like that. It would be very painful to lose that bond he made with the archangel, but at least he could end that matter once and for all and cry on Aziraphale's lap for a few months.

However, Crowley knew that Gabriel must also have felt the connection. As much as he denied it, their souls mingled together and losing it would be devastating for both of them. But if the redhead had his lovely bookseller waiting for him at home, who would wait for the archangel? What shoulder would he cry on? For an instant, the demon wanted to carry the archangel to his house and not let him out of there, where he would be sure that Gabriel would be protected and loved.

Even so, Crowley knew that the decision had to be made by the archangel. After a few moments, after hearing him sniff and loosen his embrace, Gabriel said:

"M-many angels are not as good as you, Crowley." he said, his voice a spark of guilt. "Knowing about this… s-saddens me even more that I collaborated in your execution and Aziraphale’s..."

“I told you that I forgave you! Me and Aziraphale!”

"But I still haven't forgiven myself." the purple color of Gabriel's eyes was a little colder than usual. "Besides, Crowley... I ... I can't be in this state."

"Which state?"

"In this state of... vulnerability!" the archangel swallowed. “When we were together, I ... I feel my soul open. It feels good, but dangerous at the same time. It’s as if I am removing my armor, as if I... I... were a sheet of paper that anyone could read."

"Yes, that's what it feels like when you’re in love." the redhead smiled, feeling relieved to hear Gabriel confirm that the connection between them was real. “I know how it is, I was also afraid the first time it happened to me and Aziraphale. I tried to deny this feeling as much as I could, because I also felt vulnerable. But when I learned that I could trust Zira, I finally accepted this connection.”

“Do you… do you really trust Aziraphale that much? I mean, he's still an angel and you're a demon. Aren't you afraid that he... uh... that he might use that against you? "

"That’s what you're afraid of?" Crowley frowned, although he understood where that paranoid reasoning came from. "Are you afraid that, by opening up to me, I might use your vulnerabilities against you?"

The archangel was speechless for a moment.

"You... you could have killed me that day you found me in the alley, if you wanted to." Gabriel bowed his head. “Although I know that there are worse destinations than nonexistence. I ... when you refused to destroy me, I believed, for a moment, that you would take me as a prisoner to Hell, but you didn't do that either. On the contrary, you took care of me. A kindness that... that... I'm afraid I wouldn't even do for someone I consider an enemy. Much less for someone who tried to kill someone I love.”

"Oh, I'm not going to deny that bad ideas like that crossed my mind at that time."

"And why didn't you do any of them?"

“Ngk... I don't know. After all, I'm not the type to like get into mess. The most I would do would be to just leave you there. But… I don’t know… I think living with Aziraphale made me… _nice_! ”

"You really are a nice person, Crowley."

"Heh!" the demon wanted to grab the archangel by the collar to pinning him against the wall, but changed his mind. "Well, if you think so... then why are you still afraid of being vulnerable in my presence?"

"..." Gabriel looked at Crowley again. The beautiful purple color of his eyes seemed to get brighter. He smiled. "I think I'm more afraid of you, that I know will treat me well, than any other demon who could threaten my life or take me as a prisoner to Hell."

Crowley had to remove his sunglasses to look deep into Gabriel's eyes. Those words... they were a piece of his soul, just as exposed as when they were together. That archangel so powerful, so proud, had a big wound in his soul and he was afraid that someone would nudge it.

Even if it was someone trying to nudge it with the intention of healing it.

"Very well." he held the archangel's chin and brought his face close. “In this case, then I will make you my prisoner: in my home. Now."


	8. Chapter 8

Gabriel decided he would trust Crowley.

The two returned to the demon's apartment with soft music playing in the car: _It's A Hard Life_ by Queen. Gabriel was almost starting to like these strange songs that the redhead listened to.

In the living room, Crowley took him by the hand. The light was off, but he could see the gleam in his eyes from the light coming from the window.

"What would you like to do now?"

"I..." the archangel hesitated. “Well, I am your prisoner, am I not? You decide that.”

The redhead chuckled, almost as if he thought it was funny that Gabriel took that story seriously.

"Very well, my ‘prisoner’..." he lifted the archangel's chin. "So, I would like to... touch you."

The brunette opened his eyes wide and swallowed. Although the prospect sounded pleasant, he seemed nervous.

"Don't worry, it won't be much, um, invasive." Crowley reassured him, stroking his cheek. “Besides, you haven't had a good experience today, so... I want to make you relax. I want you to feel that a touch can be pleasant and make you feel more peaceful.”

Gabriel nodded.

Smiling, the demon took him by the hand to the bedroom. His bed was big, with black satin sheets and red pillows. There were pictures on the walls, some of which the archangel was sure must have been hundreds of years old. A stereo was in the corner and, with a snap of the redhead's fingers, a soft song began to play: _Linger_.

Paying attention to the song, Gabriel didn't even notice that Crowley was unbuttoning his shirt and got a little tense when he realized it.

"Relax." Crowley asked. "Trust me."

Yes, Gabriel decided he would trust Crowley. Fully.

With a gesture, the redhead asked the archangel to lie face down on the bed, and he did. The arms were folded in front of his head, but the demon pulled them back, leaving them beside the body. A very vulnerable position.

And then Crowley started to massage Gabriel's back.

With his nimble, long fingers, the redhead squeezed the hardened muscles, making them relax with his touch. It wasn’t an easy job, as the archangel has been very tense in recent months. But little by little, inch by inch, his body was being softened.

The hands went from the shoulders to the middle of the back, then to the sides, then to the base of the back and to the arms. Gabriel had his eyes closed, feeling increasingly numb by the selection of soft music and Crowley's magical hands. The archangel hadn’t felt so well for centuries.

Then the song changed to _Broken Wings_ just as the demon asked:

"Invoke your wings."

"Hmmm?" the archangel was almost sleepy at this point.

"Your wings." Crowley repeated, running his fingers through Gabriel's hair. "Please, let me see your wings."

There was a moment's hesitation, but the archangel nodded. He leaned on his arms for better stability and invoked his wings.

Even though he was ready, Crowley was almost knocked off the bed when he saw them.

"Six?!" the demon gaped.

In front of him, three pairs of soft lilac wings spread. One pair on the back, one on the waist and one on each leg. It was a strange sight, though not as strange as the true form of the angels - which, Crowley often forgot, was quite different from the human form.

"I... I thought that only seraphim had six wings!" the redhead said, with a nervous laugh.

"I received a special permission." Gabriel explained, looking over his shoulder. “Since I was appointed as the Heaven Manager, I have received two more pairs of wings. I confess that I forget that I own them.”

"Hmmm." Crowley ran a hand gently over one of them. His touch made the archangel sigh. “Well, I'm going to have more work than I expected, but... 'sokay. Who's in a hurry, right?”

Gabriel heard the demon cracking his knuckles and start his work. His fingers began to comb the wing feathers on the back. His touch was soft, growing stronger at the right time. Starting with the secondary cover, relaxing the muscles in that area. Gently stretching each wing to have better access to the outside area, it was possible to hear even the bones cracking due to the little use that Gabriel made of his wings. Crowley also took the opportunity to remove some feathers that were already falling, facilitating the molt.

As they were semi-incorporeal, the wings at the waist and legs crossed the clothes as if they didn’t exist. But the redhead needed the fabric not to get in the way in order to continue his work. He gently held Gabriel's belt and whispered:

"May I?"

The archangel nodded and then buried his face in the pillow.

The room was cold and Gabriel could feel it when the night air came into contact with his skin in a region of his body that he didn’t used to keep uncovered. Crowley seemed to notice his embarrassment and quickly covered him with a sheet, leaving only the area of muscles where the wings were born exposed.

He continued to massage, relaxing his muscles and removing old feathers. Stretching the wings so they can be taken care of properly. Soon, it passed to the wings that were born in the calf. But before reaching them, Crowley also did a quick massage on the archangel's legs and thighs.

"You use these muscles a lot, don't you?" the demon said.

"Well... I like to jog in the park every now and then."

"I see." the fingers slid from the calf to the wings. "When people said you had ‘wings on your legs’ they weren’t kidding, huhu!"

Gabriel rolled his eyes and smiled. Once again, he relaxed and let Crowley do his job. After finishing with the wings, the demon returned to the back, as if making a last quick massage on the entire body to finish the job.

The stereo was off. In the bedroom, there was only the sound of Gabriel's soft, relaxed breathing. For an instant, the archangel thought he was alone, as he heard no more sound. Until Crowley spoke again:

"You can collect the wings."

Gabriel closed his eyes and, in the next instant, his wings were gone. He turned on the bed and faced the demon, whose serpent eyes could see him clearly in the darkness.

"God and Satan..." the redhead murmured. "You are… so beautiful!"

"Outside." the archangel said, uncomfortable. "But I am afraid that my aesthetic qualities do not translate very well what I am today."

"Shut up." Crowley said. Not in a tone of reprimand, but in a tone of demand. “I already felt your soul, Gabriel. I felt the connection. I know that your soul is beautiful, as much or even more than your body. You just forgot about it these last few years.”

"Um... maybe."

“Don't be so hard on yourself. If you were half the prick I thought you were, we wouldn't have made this connection. It doesn't just happen out of the blue.”

"I understand. And did you... did you feel good?”

"Yes." Crowley hugged him, laying his head on his bare chest. “It feels similar when I'm with Aziraphale. A feeling of... coming back to home. A feeling of being in a safe and cozy lair. It’s because I am a Fallen and, feeling the soul of a pure angel, make me have that feeling?”

"Pure?!" Gabriel almost laughed. “I doubt that someone like me, who made so many mistakes, is still pure. And I don't even mean about: to sully the temple of my body with matter or something, but... well... ”

He can't say any more, as Crowley's lips met his. The two kissed in the darkness for a long time, their souls making the connection again. The demon moaned with pleasure and, breaking the kiss, asked:

"How do you feel when you're with me, Gabe?"

"Hmmm?"

“The feeling of our souls connecting. What do you feel?"

"I... I would say it is the exact opposite of you."

Crowley frowned, concerned.

"Oh no! I don't mean that it was a bad thing.” Gabriel wrapped his arms around the demon's waist. He was, by the minute, feeling more and more comfortable with the redhead's body heat. “You said you feel like going back to home when you're with me and Aziraphale, right? Well... in my case, I feel the opposite: I feel like someone is pulling me out of the basement, where I spent most of my life in hiding, scared outside.”

Crowley's eyes widened and he smiled, while the archangel continued to describe the sensation:

“Your soul has the warmth of sunlight entering through the window of a dark room. There is the call to go out and play in the yard, forgetting for a minute the dangers of what may be outside. It’s like a plea to adventure, a plea to new things, to life... because life cannot remain stagnant inside a fortress forever, it has to be exposed and flourished. This is what I feel when our souls connect, and I confess that... it still scares me a little.”

He paused. He sighed and said, holding Crowley's face.

“But I decided that I won't be afraid anymore. I decided to trust you, Crowley. Fully. Body and soul." he leaned his forehead against his. "Do what you want with me. I am yours."

The redhead was speechless for a few moments, until he kissed Gabriel fervently, touching his body, this time, with more lustful intentions.

At that moment, the stereo started playing again. And the soft _Dear Prudence_ ballad filled the room.

.................................................

Soho's streets were busy that late afternoon. And they were more excited when a Bentley sewed through traffic and parked loudly in front of the neighborhood's largest bookstore. The sound of tires dancing on the asphalt causing passers-by to grit their teeth.

Crowley got out of the car and entered the bookstore with a wide smile on his face.

"You look jolly good, dear!" Aziraphale said, removing the reading glasses.

"Yeah, you could say that." Crowley agreed, sitting on the blond's lap and almost making him drop the book.

"Your date with Gabriel was excellent, apparently!"

Crowley's smile faded for an instant.

“Now, now, dear! Don't make that face.” Aziraphale gave him a quick peck on the lips. “I already told you that it's okay for me if you date Gabriel. And I'm happy to know that you two are getting along.”

"Oh, right." the demon chuckled. “I, um… the archangel is kind of cool. Did you know that he has three pairs of wings?”

"Yes, I did." said the Principality, replacing his glasses. “Gabriel showed us when he gained them from Metatron. In fact, I'm surprised he showed you his wings. He hasn't done that for millennia.” Aziraphale stroked the redhead's face. "It looks like you two make a good pair!"

Crowley smiled and buried his face in the angel's neck, who adjusted his position in the armchair a little to keep his reading while continuing to keep Crowley in his lap. After a few minutes, the demon said:

"Angel... I... I wanted to know." he cleared his throat. "When you are with me, what do you feel?"

“Why, dear boy! I feel love!”

“Ah, yes, but not only that. I mean... when our souls connect... uh, you know what I'm talking about, right?"

"Yes I know." Aziraphale smiled. “Do you want me to describe the feeling? Hmmm... let's see: it’s like a pleasant and sunny morning that invites people to leave their homes. A feeling of ‘hey, I won’t stay here inside the house, doing nothing, I will go out and enjoy life’!”

"Oh, is that why you always like to be so active, doing all the hard work, when we have sex?"

"Huhu, that must be why!" Aziraphale blushed. "Well, you should know that, for all other physical activities, I'm quite lazy, right?"

Crowley nodded. Great joy welled in his chest. He liked the idea that he brought the best of action and change to his two angels when they were together. If he was a demon who Fell from Heaven and, beside his ethereal lovers, he felt as if he were coming home, then for the two angels he was like a call for a summer vacation.

"Speaking of which..." Crowley took the books out of the blond's hand. “...what do you think about going out a little, huh? We haven't been feeding the ducks for weeks! And I am in the mood to play tricks on the humans who jog in the park.”

"Oh, if you want to." Aziraphale gestured for the demon to get out of his lap so he could get up. “I'm going to get my coat. And speaking of the humans running through the park, do you think we can find Gabriel on the way? Maybe not, because I imagine he has already returned to Heaven to do his job.”

"Yes, he went." Crowley said, although there seemed to be a hint of a lie in his words. A harmless lie. “But... who knows, right? It would be nice if we met casually around! I think he would like to apologize to you personally, angel.”

"I would be happy to accept his apology."

“And wouldn't it be, uh, weird if the three of us started hanging out together? I mean, if that's not a problem for you... ”

"No problem, dear!" Aziraphale winked, understanding the meaning behind those words. "In fact, I think that you, Gabriel and I can start a beautiful friendship soon... together!"


End file.
